Pressure recording gauge



Feb. 13, 1934. L L, DUNN Er AL 1,946,575

PRESSURE RECORDING GAUGE Filed Feb. 18,` 1932 lmml y 4.

E? /53 mvENToRs :21g /f'n/f/ L D11/7n -25 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 13,1934 I PATENT Aoi-*iiiziilfi PRESSURE RECORDING GAUGE Irwin L. Dunn, Harry F. wright, and Imola s.

Crooks, Tulsa,

Okla.

Application February 1s, 1932. serial No. 593.138 Y 4 Claims.

Our invention relates to pressure lmeasuring devices, and more particularly to pressure recording gauges for measuring and recording the reservoir pressure-commonly known as rock pressureat various depths in oil and gas wells,

or other borings. f

The pressure existing at the producing horizon of an oil and/or gas pool is the primary source of energy utilized for removing fluid from the lo well, and a ,definite knowledge ofthis pressure is the most important requisite in determining the manner of and rate at which the oil and gas may be most eiiiciently and economically removed.

Because of wide variation in specic gravity of '15 the column of uid in a well, the only satisfactory method of measuring pressure in the bottom of the hole is to lower into the well a gauge ywhich will measure and record the pressure at any given depth.

Various instruments have been devised for this purpose, some of them being capable of recording only a single pressure for each run of the instrument into the well, while others are exceedingly delicate and complicated.

The principal object of our invention is, therefore, to provide a gauge of simple and rugged construction whereby the pressures at various depths in a well may be recorded during a single run of the instrument into the well.

In accomplishing this and other objects of l our invention we have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of ay gauge constructed in accordance with our invention, a portion o1' the upper housing section being broken away to more clearly disclose the operating mechanisxn of the device. i

Fig. .2 is a central .vertical section of the instrument. l -l Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modied form 4of record-marking mecha- Referring more in detail to the drawing:

1--2 designate lower and upper housing sections,.the lower ,section having a reduced externally threaded neck 3 forming a lateral shoulder 4, and the upper cylindrical section having an 5o internally threaded lower end 5 engaging the neck and abutting the lateral shoulder to produce afluid tight jointrbetween the sections.

The lower section terminates in a bullet type nose 6 to facilitate downward passage of the instrument through a conduit and through a column (Cl. 234-17) l of liquid in the conduit, and notches 7 and 8 are provided adjacent the tapered end of the lower section and on the upper section for receiving suitable wrenches .to thread the housing sections firmly together. f

As shown in Fig. 2, the lower section comprises a solid body of metal to provide the necessary weight for insuring passage of the instrument through a heavy body of liquid, andwithin the body is formed an inlet channel 9 including a vhorizontal port opening through the side of the lower section for inlet of well uid to the instrument and preferably terminating in an enlarged internally threaded socket 10 adapted to receive the tting of a suitable device for testing ing the accuracy of the instrument, the channel having the vertical portion 11 opening through an lupstanding externally threaded boss 12 formed on the yupper end of the lower section adjacent the edge thereof. 75

The upper section is counter-bored to form a chamber 13 for receiving a pressure unit 14 including a bracket member 15v having a downwardly depending pedestal 16 provided with a threaded socket 1'1 to engage the upstanding boss 12 of the lower section, a lead washer 18, or the like, being preferably inserted between the pedestal and boss for sealing the joint between said members.

'I'he unit 14 includes a tubular distensible member 19 of arcuate form having one end secured to the pedestal 16 by welding, or the like, as indicated at 20, yto communicate the inlet channel with the 'tubular' member. At its opposite end the distensible member is closed, as shown at 21, and terminates in an ear 22 pivotally connected to reoording mechamfsm.- now to be described in detai Extending laterally from the pedestal 16 is a horizontal Yslielf portion 23 provided on an axial line of the housing with a bearing opening 24 for rotatably receiving a shaft 25 journalled in the opening and in aligning openings of spaced plates 26 and 2'l'J secured to the shelf portion by spacers 28 and screws 29. y r

Mounted onthe shaft between the spaced plates is a gear 31 meshing with thesector 32 of an actuating arm 33 pivotally ymounted on a shaft 34 also having opposite ends fixed in the spaced plates in parallelrelation with theshaft 105 25. The outer end of the actuating armV is pivotally connected by a screw'35 to a link 36 connected in turn by a pin 3'? with -the ear 22 of the distensible member, so that distention of the tubular member, eiected by increase of pressure 11 .9 sz or a length to extend diametrilsure from. the instrument.

Mounted on and frictionally the portion of the shaft projecting through the shelf portion 23isacircularcarrler 40securedtothe shelf by screws 41 extendedthroughspacers 42 andthreaded into the shelf, a neck 43 formed concentrically on the carrier serving to rigidly space the-central portionof the carrierlfrcm the The carrier is `further provided with antinwardly directed annular flange 44 for retaining ablankorgraduatedrecorddiskthatmaybe removably seated on` the carrlerand preferably held therein byk a spring wire 46 the flange 44.' f

vvAs shown in Fig.1 of the drawing, the record disk maybe provided with'a notch 47 to permit mounting of the disk -on the carrier, as'will be later more .fully described, andis further provided with anear 48 seated in anotched portion 49 of the flange to facilitate removal of the disk 0' fronrthe'carrierand to prevent rotationoi' the disk independently of the carrier. 1t' will be apparent that the blank disk rml! be graduated in any desirablemanner to simplify the'pro-` cedure of calculating and well pres* The shaft 25vextending freelyvthrough a con-` n centric opening 50 of` thecarrler is of sufficient 'handisfadownwardlyextendingmarker-orpin` "58providedwithahead54andadaptedwcon marker from the shaft. v t

length to project above `the carrier and is threaded atitsupper end for-receiving a pair of nuts 51 to support therebetween a resilient hand callyacrossthe'carrien1l'lxedonmieendofthe taotarecorddisksupportedonthecarrierto lmarkthedisk. Onitsoppositeendthehandis provided with a stop lug 55.

'meaux being provided-wim the noten 4r,

maybemovedlaterallyc'aver theshaft 25 into positioninthecarrierwithmitremovingthe m Lerden te efreet contee: er u marrer with therecordatthewilloftheuperatoinaetuating mechanism forthe'markerisprovidedincluding a circular striker 56 of sumcient diameterto cothe centrallyr incidently contact both ends'l of mounted hand 5s.` l l The striker is concentrically above the carrier by a bridge :ww-- e 57 comprising opposite brackets 58 having lower lateral ears 59 fixed to the `lower face of the carrier -by any suitable means such as welding,v and having up- 4 per lateralears 60 provided withlposts 61 for seating inslots 62 of a cross bar 63, binding nutsv 64 being threaded on the posi:A for removably securingthecrossbar tothebrackets.- k

Thecross barisfurtherprovldedwlth a central opening forslidablyreceivingashaftiixed concentricallv to the striker and having a flanged head 67 secured to its upper .end by across pin 68 or the vlike so that downward t -of the striker is limited by, stot of the head A with thebar. Aspring 69 isseatedbetweenthe crossbarandheadtonormallyspacethestriker from`tbehand52.

A eillciently The head of the striker is adapted to be engazed and te be rereed inte enteet wan the y record disk by a weight 70 slidably mounted in a reduced bore 71 opening intoi the chamber 13 and extending upwardly and concentrically through a neck 72 provided on the upper housing section 2. At its upper end the bore is internally threaded as shown at 73, for engaging the threaded reduced portion 74 of an anchoring bolt 75. Formed on the lower end of ythe bolt is an apertured boss 76 for anchoring the upper end of a spring 77 havingits lower end secured in a socket 78 of the weight by any suitable means. such `as a screwr 79 threaded into the weight.y f

An eye 80 may be formed integrally with the `upper-face of the anchoringbolt to receive a t line'forloweringor elevating theinstrument in -a well hole.

directproportion to the well pressure, and the shaft 25, being operably connected with the tubularmember.' `will be correspondingly rotated, thus turning the hand 52.

After the instrument has been lowered to the desired depth, the line is suddenly jerked to jar the instrument which may be accomplished in various manners, such ias-permitting the instrument to drop for a slight distance and to then stop it abruptly. thereby causing the weight to continue downwardly under its own momentum, del livering an impact on thestriker which in turn ns bends both ends of the resilient hand downwardly A to cause the marker toprick the disk. thus form- .ing a record thereon.

Due to simultaneouscontact of the stop lug on the other end of the hand with theblank, bendingof the shaftr 25 is prevented.' and downward movement of the striker is limited by engagement ofthe head 67'with the cross bar. 'It will be obvious that 'the striker is returned and normally held in spaced relation with the resilient hand by, the spring 69.

As the well pressure varies at different depths. impressions made on the disk at intervalswhile the device is being lowered will provide a record of the pressures at different depths, andif de- 1 sired, similar impresiona may be made on the disk yat corresponding depths as the device is beingvelevatedto determine whether or not the the well bore. the `housing sections are disassembled andafterrthe record has been examined and the wellpressure calculated therefrom the record may be nled for. i'uturey reference.

From a knowledge of the existing pressures at 14g different depths in the well. it will 'be possible to determine the sizel of. tubing required for most and economically flowing a well by fluid The pressures at the bottom of the well are also the index of the-ability of the well to produce, and from a periodicmeasurement of these pres- A sures the decline in potential capacity and the probable ultimate production can be estimated.

Sincewithourdevicatheactualpressureatthe bottom of a gas well, as distinct from oil wells, can be measured accurately, the potential capacity can be calculated much more v accurately and rapidly than with present methods.

The only difference in the modied form illustrated in Fig. 4, from the preferred form heretofore described, is that the weight member is provided with an enlarged concentric head 81 having a downwardly depending flange 82 adapted to strike both ends of the hand 52.

The operation of the modied form of structure is identical to that of the preferred form, although it will be apparent that no means is provided for limiting the force of the impact on the resilient hand in the modied device.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:Vy y

1. A pressure indicating device including a housing, means in the housing for supporting a record blank, a marker, means including a resilient hand normally supporting the marker in spaced relation with the blank, means in the housing for rotating the marker-supporting means in response to pressurel to be recorded, a circular striker, means yieldingly supporting the striker in spaced relation with said hand, and means responsive to interrupted travel of the housing for driving the striker against said hand to eiect contact of the marker with the blank.

2. A pressure indicating device including a housing,` means in the housing for supporting a record blank, a marker, means including a resil ient hand normally supporting the marker in spaced relation with the blank, means in the housing for rotating the marker-supporting means in response to pressure to be recorded, a striker, means including a bridge on said blank-supporting means for yieldingly supporting the striker ln spaced relation with said hand, and a. weighted member responsive to interrupted travel of the housing for driving the striker against, said hand to eect contact of the marker with the blank.

3. A pressure indicating device including a housing, means in the housing for supporting a record blank, a marker, means including a resilient hand normally supporting the marker in spaced relation with the blank, means in the housing for rotating the marker-supporting means in vresponse to pressure to be'recorded; a bridge on said blank-supporting means, a striker yieldingly supported on the bridge in spaced relation with the hand, stop means on the striker adapted to engage said bridge for limiting downward movement of the strikenand a yieldingly supported weight member slidable in the housing and responsive to interrupted travel of the housing for driving the striker against said hand to effect contact of the marker with the blank.

4. A device of the character described including a housing, means in the housing for supporting a record blank, a marker, a shaft rotatable in the housing, a resilient hand fixed transversely on said shaft and carrying the marker on one end and a stop lug on its opposite end, means in the housing for rotating said shaft in response to pressure to' be recorded, and means responsive to irregular movement of the housing for exing both ends of said hand to effect contact o'f the marker and lug with said blank and prevent lateral bending of the shaft.

IRWIN L. DUNN.

HARRY F. WRIGHT.

HAROLD S. 'CR/DORS.

l'iso 

